Apparatus for shaping metal rods



April 15,1969

R. SISLER APPARATUS FOR SH'APING METAL RODS Sheet Filed April 18. 19,66

R. SISLER April 15, 1969 Sheet z vof 2" Filed April 1e. v196e United States Patent O 3,438,237 APPARATUS FOR SHAPING METAL RODS Remo Sisler, Via Isonzo 2a, Verona, Verona, Italy Filed Apr. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 543,260

Claims priority, application Italy, Apr. 24, 1965, 781,307/65; Apr. 8, 1966, 809,454/66 Int. Cl. B21d 7/024 U.S. Cl. 72--310 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Angularly displaceable and axially retractable mechanisms cooperate to form bends in wire rods.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for the shaping of metal rods such as reinforcing rods for constructions of reinforced concrete.

Such known apparatus require continual intervention of the operator to manually effect measurement of straight lengths of the rods and the manipulation thereof and of the mechanisms effecting proposed bends.

Firms working with reinforced concrete consequently tend to exclude the use of shaping machines on account of the incompleteness of their work and prefer to rely on the manual operations of steel workers. However, this involves considerable expense in labour costs with an appreciable effect on the costs of the reinforcements and, consequently, on the cost of building work.

The apparatus forming the object of the present invention solves mechanically in a rapid and accurate manner, various problems concerning the shaping of reinforcing rods.

The machine forming the object of the invention is constituted by a certain number of twin hollow boxes, forming and supporting the bending mechanisms which are also in pairs. The boxes, guided along a support beam, may asume the most varied positions relatively to each other, finally corresponding to the shaped sections of the rods.

The body of boxes is traversed by an actuating shaft for the said bending mechanisms and undergoes angular displacements about its own axis, alternately to the right and left, caused by a connecting rod driven by a reduction motor.

The number of angular displacements of said shaft is not only determined by the number of operating boxes, but mainly by the number of operations necessary to cornplete the shaping cycle of the rods according to the proposed working plan, with return to the beginning of the cycle.

Upon the completion of each cycle, the machine stops, but ready to resume its control and execute a new and similar bending cycle.

The same cycle is determined, however, by the succession of individual bends of the rods which, as shown by Way of example in the bending diagram for a square pillar stirrup in FIGS. from ttl-ta in the accompanying drawings are started at the two ends, then become symmetrical at two other intermediate positions and then the last centre bend is effected.

However, since the bending of the rods is operated by a bending pin actuated by a crank mechanism by forcing the rods to adapt themselves partly round a spindle, so that the operations following the bending operations for the hook on the ends of the rods may be effected. The pins, subjected to the actions of the rst bending spindles, must leave the rods to be folded free to undergo the successive shaping operations.

In fact, the bending mechanisms contained in the boxes are provided for this purpose since they have been de- 3,438,237 Patented Apr. l5, 1969 signed and constructed for the development in timed relationship of each of the individual bends.

The relative positions of the operating heads are finally those required by the sections where the bends must be made on the stirrups or, more commonly, on the reinforcing rods as is required by their specific use according to the calculations of the technical planner of the work. The machine has to be simply fed by hand with a certain number of rods predisposed in the plane determined by its retractable spindles.

When the machine is operated by a single pressure on a push button switch, it rapidly and automatically delivers shaped rods.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a front View of the apparatus of the present invention, as viewed by the direction of the operator;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view thereof showing the left supporting side;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the machine taken on the line y-y of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4a shows a stirrup formed by the apparatus for the present invention;

FIGS. 4I to 4m show, by way of example, successive steps in the formation of a stirrup such as that shown in FIG. 4a;

FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic view of the gear mechanism for effecting a bending operation;

FIG. 6a is a front view of a housing enclosing the gear mechanism shown in FIG. 5; and

FIGS. 6b and 6c respectively show a cross section on the line W-W of FIG. 6a, and a horizontal section on line X-X of FIG. 6a.

With reference to the drawings, it will be seen that the machine is formed substantially by side members such as 1 and 1' connected to form a framework by a connecting crossbar 2. This beam 2 acts as a support and slide guide for 'bOX heads 31, 3H, 3111, and 3,11, 3,1. Each Of these bOX heads independently effect a single bend on rods 9. The side member 1 is provided with a reduction motor assembly M5 which, by means of connecting rods 6, controls a main longitudinal shaft 4 So that the latter, in order to complete a cycle of operations for shaping of the rods being processed, undergoes a certain number of angular displacements alternately to the right and' the left. The tops of the boxes 31, 3H, 3m, 3U, and 31 are hollow and contain within them the associated bending mechanisms. All the mechanisms of the boxes are sub stantially in pairs and disposed, if desired, symmetrically to the centre box 3m. All the mechanisms operate similarly to that shown in FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c. These are arranged so that a crank arm 76, with pin 77 and rollers 7 is obliged, by rotating about the retractable spindle 8, by means of an opposing claim 14 or press. Etfecting a forcing action against the rods 9 bending them and shap ing them, to adapt itself `by a predetermined angle about the `pivot 8. In the case shown in the diagrams in FIGS. tI-4m, the bends imposed on the rod 9 make it assume the form of a stirrup 9a (FIG. 4a) having tive bends. This is followed by an example of a iitting arranged for a general bend of a rod as shown in the diagram in FIGS. t1-4m. However, it will vbe noted that the succession of operations on the part of the individual members forming the various bending groups of each box-shaped head are adjustable in timing so that bends of the rods more complicated'than those in the embodiments shown are possible, thus it is possible to insert on the sliding beam other box-shaped heads apart from those serving to illustrate the embodiment of a stirrup for square pillars.

In fact, when the boxes 31 and 3'1 are compared it may 3 be observed that 31 effects a bend on the rod to the left whilst 31 bends the rod to the right.

The combination of the turns of the bends and the number of the box heads permits use of the machine for an infinite combination of bends.

Moreover (and for certain applications this is a great advantage) below a fixed beam such as 2 and associated accessories, it is possible to arrange in parallel thereto a second beam which can be raised and lowered in order to shape rods for resisting unavoidable stresses, for example, having Very complicated bending moments. It is also possible to replace the series of operating members given by way of example in the present description as forming the binding units illustrated and constructed with purely mechanical members, by members for example `by electrodynamic or oleo-dynamic means Without changing the inventive and basic concept of the machine, the operation of bending the rods being not only effected by the action of the individual bending members and those of the retractable pivots, by collaboration of the effect of gravity to which the rods themselves are subjected in the bending which are constantly kept in a vertical plane. These bends occur successively even when no member projects from the heads of the operating boxes which have not been working.

Therefore, with reference to FIGS. 5, 6a, 6b and 6c showing an embodiment of one of the possible Ways of arranging the assembly of bending members in a general box-shaped head 3, it will be seen that the main shaft 4 providing the drive has a keyway 41 throughout its length.

Each box-head of the type of 3 has mounted thereon in ball races, bushing 43 which passes transversely through it and is connected to the shaft 4 by a key 42, controlling the bending mechanism in such a manner, however, that the box and the bushing therewith may be subjected to axial displacements yalong the shaft.

The boxes are suspended and guided by the slides 31, 31 provided along the top of the guide 21 of the cross piece 2.

The lateral displacements of the box head 3 for placing it in the desired position, are affected by the operation of the hand wheel 11 mounted on a suitable support 10 connected to the box and controlling `a spindle operating a ratchet 12 meshing with the toothed surface 13 sliding axially of the beam 2 and secured to the top thereof.

The said bushing 43 of the box head 3 (see FIG. 6c) secured by the key 42, follows, in the course of the an- -gular displacement, the movements of the main shaft 4 and carries, by having secured thereto, the moulded collar 72 for the control of the following members and assemblys of members;

Assembly operating the bending roller 7 The semi-ratchet 70 is loose on the bushing 43 and actuates the teeth 71 of the rack 71-71'72" with a double set of teeth, whilst the other 71" meshes with the ratchet 74 cooperating with the hollow shaft 7S provided with the crank 76 carrying the pair: pivot 77-bending roller 7. It will be noted that the semi-ratchet 70 has a sector provided with a tooth 170 in which a projection 170 is inserted the pivot 78 of which is mounted on the collar 72 and forms the operating member thereof for the operating movement. The projection 170 in turn, is provided with a scanner rod 79 subjected to the action of a moulded projection 87 connected to the wheel 86 havin-g four teeth, precluding in due course the cyclic action of the projection 170 on the tooth 170 of the semiratchet 70, so that, in the event of 170 being inserted in 170', the yaction of rotation of 70 is effected on the teeth 71 of the rack 71 yand then the active rotation of the crank mechanism 76-77 and of 7 is effected towards the rods 9 supported by the retractable shaft 8.

When the projection 170 is released from 170', the action of 70 on 71 is terminated,

Control group for rotating the shaped projection 87 for actuation of the retractable spindle 8 The above mentioned wheel 86 having four teeth is firmly connected to a projection 87 and undergoes progressive forward movements imposed on it by the moulded collar 72. The said wheel 86 is acted on by two projections 186 loosely disposed on the spindle 78 and the projection 186 applied in its correct position within a wall of the box head 3. The operation of the projection 186 and the projection 186 controls the operation of the wheel 86 after -a certain number of oscillations of the shaft 4, to connect the collar 72 to the semi-ratchet 70.

Control unit for the withdrawal and extension of the retractable spindle 8 from the boxhead Similarly to the arrangement for the preceding unit, this group also makes use of a member formed by the wheel having four teeth rigidly connected to `a shaped projection 84. Acting on the wheel 85 are two projections: loosely disposed on the spindle 78, and the projection 185 located in the correct position within a wall of the boxhead 3. Resting on the circumferential face of the moulded projection 84 is the end of a projecting member 81 connected by means of a rocker system 82412-82 to the retractable spindle 8. The system is based on the rod 82, secured at the bottom at 83 to a wall of the boxhead 3 secured at a centre pivot point to the projection 81 and at the upper end straddling the retractable spindle 8 compelled by the displacements of the rod 81 either to project externally from the head 3 or to withdraw within it. Such withdrawals of the spindle 8 are necessary on account of the fact that, for example, after the two bends are made in the hooks at the end of the rods, as shown in FIG. 41, in the folding diagram, for example, of a stirrup, it is necessary to free the bent rods from the presence of the spindle such as 8 so that the vertical area is free to receive the second pair of bends which must be effected on the spindle 811-811, see FIG. 411. The same must therefore be stated for the spindle 811 on the left which must be compelled to withdraw (see FIG. 4111) within the boxhead (III) -when the third bend must be effected according to the spindle 8111.

However, the arrangement is such that the cycle of operations of the various members of the individual groups of the bending mechanism `described and installed in each of the boxheads 3 has to take place, beginning in succession, for example, for the case considered in the diagram of operations illustrated for a square pillar stirrup in the following manner.

By introducing an assembly of bars or rods 9 between the bending rollers 7 and the retractable spindles 8 and then keeping them in position by suitable fixed presses 14, the bending phases of the assembly of stirrups occur as follows:

By operating the push botton 15 (FIG. 1), the machine starts and the bending rollers 7 of the heads 31 and 31 simultaneously execute in opposite directions the bending of the two end hooks as shown in FIG. 411. At this point, the retractable spindles 81 and y81 (FIG. 411) of the heads (31) and (31) are withdrawn, thus leaving the bars or rods free which, subjected to the following action of the bending rollers of the heads 311 and 311' are simultaneously bent in opposite direction and to the desired degree, forming two sides of the stirru-ps.

However, whilst the retractable Spindle of the head (311) is withdrawn as in the previous cases, the retractable spindle 8'11 of the head 311 remains extended to keep the stirrups in shape until the bending roller 7111 of the head 3111 (FIG. 4111) has effected the final bend thus forming the other two sides of the stirrups. When all the bends are effected, the assembly of stirrups is completed and is released when the two retractable spindles 81H and 8,111 Of the hads 31H and 3,11 are S drawn synchronised in the associated heads and then released and free to fall on an arm projecting from a suitable carriage.

What I claim is: 1. Apparatus for bending one or more wire rods comprising:

(A) aframe; (B) an actuating rod having end portions journalled in said frame; (C) means to angularly oscillate said actuating rod;

and (D) a plurality of hollow housings positioned in sideby-side relation on said actuating rod, each of said hollow housings including:

(a) means limiting said housings to linear movement along said actuating rod;

(b) an axially retractable support member having an end portion which extends outwardly of said housings and which is positioned transversely to the axis of said actuating rod in a plane directly adjacent the plane of the wire rods to be bent;

(c) a bending member having a mounting portion loosely positioned on said support member and a forming portion disposed adjacent said outwardly extending end portion of said support member and adjacent the plane of the wire rods to be bent whereby the plane of the wire rods passes between said forming portion of said bending member and said outwardly extending end portion of said support member;

(d) means to couple said bending member to said actuating rod to move said forming portion of said bending member along either one of two oppositely directed arcuate paths to thereby bend the wire rods; and

(e) means coupled to said support member and responsive to the angular oscillation of said actuating rod to retract said support member in timed relation to the movement of said forming portion of said bending member.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said hollow housings further includes means to disable selected ones of said coupling means whereby said bending member becomes non-operative and means to time the action of said disabling means.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means limiting said housings to linear movement comprises mating guide means on said frame and said housings.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bending member mounting portion is a sleeve tele scoped over said support member, there being further included a crank arm coupling said forming portion of said bending member to said sleeve whereby said forming portion can move through arcuate paths of 360.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means to couple said bending member to said actuating rod comprises a rst gear mounted on said actuating rod, a second gear mounted on said bending member mounting portion and a rack gear meshingly engaged with said first and said second gears.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means to time the action of said disabling means operates simultaneously on said disabling means in at least two of said housings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 986,713 3/ 1911 Hoover 72-305 1,096,233 5/1914 Foster 72-400 2,345,102 3/ 1944 Dick 72-217 2,366,012 12/ 1944 Draper et al. 72--217 2,510,183 6/1950 Luce 72-217 2,869,591 1/1959 Larkin 1404-71 3,104,685 9/1963 Gonia et al 140-71 3,273,371 10/ 1966 Peterson 72--218 CHARLES W. fLANHAM, Primary Examiner.

E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examlner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

